Knives and Swords
by Clato 27
Summary: Sequel to Bows and Arrows. The twins have made it through the arena alive, but the Victory Tour and Quarter Quell are quickly approaching. With all the other family drama will they make it threw? I'm getting worse at summaries, the story is hopefully better. Clove/Cato and maybe some Peeta/Katniss if I'm feeling nice. Rated T for bad words and blood.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: so this is the sequel to my story Bows and Arrows. I would suggest reading the first book first but I don't control your life so do whatever you want. Hope you Bows and Arrows fans enjoy this and to all you other people, hi! **

Chapter 1:

Katniss walked back from the forest so rounding district twelve. It was the only place she felt at home now a days. Her Victor's Village house was to spacious for just her and Prim and she couldn't return to her old house. It felt like everything that took place there was a lie. The forest had always been her second home and for the time being it was her only one.

She had gone hunting, treasuring the hours before her prep team came knocking at her door and readied her for the Victory Tour, or as Cato called it, the Tour to Hell. That seemed more appropriate for the three victors. She hadn't talked to Peeta since the train ride, where she had told him she didn't feel the same way he did about her.

She walked into her house, discarding her bow and arrows in the front closet before Prim walked to her in the study. "Hey, Prim" Katniss smiled but Prim's face remained emotionless.

"You have a visitor, Katniss" she said. "He's in the study."

Katniss walked into the study to see Clove sitting in one of the plush armchairs with the President of Panem himself. "Hello, Katniss. It's a pleasure to see you again, please sit" Snow said, gesturing to the plush arm chair next to Clove.

Katniss sat and the President got directly to business. "I think it'll make this situation easier by agreeing not to lie to each other. What do you think?"

"Yes, I think that'll save time" Clove said. Clove might have been the second born but she was much better at handling these types of situations and handling things.

"What do you think, Katniss?" She asked.

"I agree completely" Katniss said. The President smiled, his lips overly full and the skin stretched to tight.

"My advisors were concerned you two would be difficult, but you weren't going to be difficult. We're you?" He asked.

"No" they said together. Usually this would be a time for laughs. The two twins speaking at the same time. Everyone would laugh and Cato would make fun of them. But now they just stared at their grandfather.

"That's what I told them" he said. "I said any one who goes to such lengths to preserve their lives isn't going to be interested in throwing it away. And then there's their family to think about. Their mother and sister. Not to mention dear old dad." He paused for a moment, letting the information sink in. To Katniss, John wasn't anything except for the man who raised her. She resented him, but to Clove he was the father she dreamed about meeting for sixteen years and loosing him wouldn't be easy, especially now that he was finally in her grasp.

"I have a problem" said Snow turning towards Katniss. "A problem that began the moment you pulled out those poisonous berries. If the Head Gamemaker, Saneca Crane, had any brains he would have blown you four sky high then and there. But here you are, can you guess where he is?"

Katniss nodded. He had made it clear that he had been executed. The smell of blood and roses had grown stronger now and both girls suspected poison. "After that you were pretty good, Miss Everdeen. The love-crazed schoolgirl bit, I almost believed it. And I'm not the only one who didn't."

Katniss froze in a silent panic as he turned to Clove. "You, on the other hand, Miss Snow, are very good. Even I believe your love for Mr. Hadley is true. You and Mr. Hadley will be in the clear for now, but as soon as one of you step out of line. You're fair game to the citizens of the Capitol" he warned.

"Why are you telling us this, Mr. President?" Clove asked, her composure staying true.

"I'm scared of an uprising, Miss Snow. They will fallow the little stunt of yours unless your dear sister here convinces the districts of her love for Mr. Mellark. Now keep in mind, if you don't the uprisings will turn into a revolution. Than hundreds of people will die and the conditions those left will have to face will be terrible. Do you want all the spilled blood and heartbreak on your hands?" He asked, but he didn't want an answer. He went on, "whatever problems anyone may have with the Capitol, believe me when I say that if it released its grip on the districts for even a second, our whole system will fall apart."

"It must be very fragile if be a handful of berries will knock it down" Clove answered.

"It is very fragile, but not in the way you think, Miss Snow" he said. Katniss was amazed at how the two weren't ripping the other's heads off because it was quite apparent that both wanted to do just that.

"I didn't mean to start and uprising" Katniss said, trying to stead the attention off her sister for a moment. She didn't want the death of the president to take place in her home.

"I believe you, Miss Everdeen, but it doesn't matter. Your stylist seemed to be prophetic in his wardrobe choice. Katniss Everdeen, the girl that was on fire, and her sister, the girl with this knives, have provided a spark that, left unattended, may grow to an inferno that destroys Panem" he says.

"Why don't you just kill us now than?" Clove said.

"Publicity?" He asks. "That would only add fuel to the flames."

"An accident then?"

"No one would buy it. Would you if you were watching it?" The two stared each other down again.

"Than just tell us what to do" Katniss said.

"If it were only that simple." He picked up one of the flower cookies Prim had placed on the desk before Katniss had came into the house. "Did you lovely sister make these?"

"Peeta did" Clove said. For the first time Katniss couldn't meet his gaze. She didn't have nearly as good of a poker face as her sister.

"Peeta? How is the love of your life?" The president asked Katniss. That's when she finally met his snake like gaze. She released Ellia had the same eyes as her father, only hers were softer and loving, while the man sitting in front of hers were cold and unforgiving.

"Good" she said.

"At what point did he realise the exact degree of your indifference?"

"I'm not indifferent" she lied swiftly.

"But not as taken with the young man as you let the country to believe."

"Who says I'm not?"

"I do" says the president. "And, trust me when I say I wouldn't be here if I was the only person who had doubts. It doesn't help that you are disappearing into the woods with that handsome cousin of yours every Sunday."

Katniss breathed in sharply. If he knew about her excursions into the woods what else does he know about? "Well, you have nothing to worry about, Mr. President, I will work out my feelings" Katniss said.

"Do what you wish, Miss Everdeen, but if you better convince the districts of your love. I could easily arrange an accident for your family" he said and paused letting the information sink in before standing. "I think I'll take my leave. But, Clove, Katniss, do you know if your mother is around?"

"I believe she went to town this morning, Grandfather. I doubt you would want to go parading threw town looking for them, that would be very suspicious, wouldn't it?" Clove said before Snow stood and left the study. He smiled his sickly smile, but his eyes had a murderus glint in them. That was clearly what he didn't want to hear. He stepped out the door and left Clove and Katniss alone with their thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know I am a terrible person and this chapter is crap but I had to get the ball rolling! **

Chapter 2:

"We have been living here for months, Cato! Months! And I still haven't met him! He said he's be ready to see me after the Victory Tour and it's after the fucking Victory Tour! Cato, I am never going to meet my father so stop bringing him up!" Clove screamed as she paced the room of their bedroom.

Cato sighed and sat down on the bed, pulling on his sneakers. "Why don't you go and see him, Clove? You are the most pushy person I know and I do not get why you don't go over there and force yourself to meet him" Cato said, calmly.

Clove turned around and he could see the tears in her eyes. "Because he made it clear he doesn't want to meet me or get to know me or scare the crap out of you because isn't that what dads do? Intimidate the hell out of boyfriends and fiancés?"

"Put your shoes on."

"What?"

"Dads are supposed to be over protective and they are also supposed to put their kid's happiness in front of theirs. When you make me a father I know that's what I am going to do so that's what we are going to do. We are putting your happiness before his and you are going to meet your dad. Now put on your damn shoes" Cato said.

Clove sniffled and laced up her boots. "No one said anything about you being a father."

"Knowing us it's going to happen" he responded, giving a small smile and taking her hand before pulling her through the door.

XxXxX

They stood outside her father's house. "Go on, Clove. I'll be right out here, ok?"

Clove took a deep breath, her hand slipping out of Cato's as she walked up the broken, old steps. She knocked on the door and waited anxiously for a minuet, but no one came to the door.

Blinking away tears, she turned around quickly, her braid whipping her face. She all but ran down the stairs and into Cato's arms, but then the door opened.

"Katniss?" A man'd voice made Clove stop in her tracks. Her neck swivelled and her grey eyes landed on her father. He was in a wheel chair and he was skinnier than in any of the pictures she had seen of him.

She turned around, taking a step towards him as she said, "Dad!" His eyes grew when he saw it was his middle daughter opposed to his oldest. He quickly jerked his wheels back and skidded back in to the house, slamming the door behind him.

Clove ran up to the door, banging on it furiously with both fists while tears dripped down her cheeks. "I'm your daughter too!" She screamed, her banging slowing down as she fell to her knees. "You have to talk to me! You have to!"

She felt Cato's arms wrap around her and soon she was banging on his chest while he carried her home. Her arms soon wrapped around his neck and her head was buried in his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Clove" he whispered into her ear.

Clove pulled her face out of Cato's shoulder and pressed her cheek against his. "At least now I won't be waiting on him forever."

**A/N: I KNOW YOU ALL HATE ME BUT I JUST NEEDED A KICK START OKKKK!? Also, I have a poll so if you could vote on that I will update this sooner :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: off hiatus! Yay! For the past month or so I've been flipping you all off internally and deleting and writing a shit load of new stories. I don't even know what's going on with me. Inspiration came back for this so I'm going for it while it still lasts. **

Chapter 3:

Clove decided that she hated weddings. She had only been to a few in her life time, but never really paid attention. She was usually whisked away in the middle of it by her date so they could go hookup in the woman's bathroom. Why Cato never dragged her into the men's, she had no idea.

Back to the original point, Clove hated weddings. The only thing she hated more had to be planning one. It wasn't that she wasn't excited to marry Cato, it's just she didn't want to plan a whole thing when she could just sign the papers. The Capitol wouldn't have that. They needed a huge wedding that will be televised and mandatory to watch, President's orders of coarse.

"Blue or red for a color scheme?" Hovel asked, his bright green hair giving her a headache.

"I don't know, flip a fucking coin," Clove responded, her fingers trying to message her temples.

"Language, young lady!" Hovel scolded and she could hear Cato trying to choke down his laughter. "Don't laugh at the bride when she is stressed about this day, Cato."

"You know what Hovel," Clove snapped, her hands slamming against the wood table in their dinning room. "You're the one stressing me out. If you're so worked about this damn day, why don't you just plan the wedding for me?"

Hovel had a hard time hiding his pleasure at the request. "But, Clove. I couldn't POSSIBLY take the honor of planning your wedding."

Clove stood up and dragged Cato with her. "I don't give two shits about this wedding. Just make sure there's chocolate cake, lots of liquor- and I mean LOTS of liquor- and tell my stylist that if my dress if puffy I will personally carve those tattoos of hers into her face," Clove said before grabbing her coat and leaving the house.

Cato followed her almost like a lost puppy wanting a treat. His mouth was still hanging open in admiration for half of their walk into town. "Y'know," he whispered, his arm slinking around her waist. "You look really hot when bitting people's heads off."

Their eyes met. Clove could never get enough of his blue eyes. "You look really hot when your mad," Clove retaliated. Cato scowled and Clove grinned at him before he kissed her.

XxXxX

The only time she spent with Gale was Sundays. It was the only day he had off from working in the mines. That was the only downside about ageing out of the reaping, your life is at risk everyday in the mines.

Today, though, Katniss was avoiding Gale. She had given him the excuse that she had to help Gale with wedding planning. It wasn't a complete lie, she was helping Clove not plan her wedding. That was something right?

Ordinarily, Katniss would kill for a day with Gale but after the week before when Gale had kissed her before they parted ways, she couldn't face him. She was just to confused. Ever since the victory tour, she had become friends with Peeta and even thought she was having feelings for him.

Now, though, she wasn't so sure. She had never thought of Gale like that, but with his lips pressed to hers felt different then how Peeta's felt. She wasn't sure if it's good different or bad different yet. Knowing her, she wouldn't know until President Snow (or Grandad, as Clove refers to him) forces her to marry Peeta.

That's what she was trying to tell Clove, as they walked into town with their arms linked together on their way to the Mellark bakery. Peeta had given Cato a job there and he gave them free cheese buns. "I don't know what to do, Clo," Katniss sighed dramatically. Clove didn't respond. "Clove, not the time to zone out! I have kept this bottled up for like a week! Some sympathy will be nice!"

"I'm late," she blurted out, her hand clamping over her mouth. She clearly did not mean to say that. Katniss stopped in her tracks.

"You mean...?" Her voice was low. Clove nodded, eyes wide.

"Only two days though. I've been late before but..."

"Cato doesn't?"

"Of coarse not!"

"And you aren't going to tell."

"Until I know for sure," Clove verified. Katniss nodded then and both girls smiled. "I think we're happy abo-." Her sentence was interrupted by the crack of a whip, an unusual sound in District Twelve.

Their heads turned to the center of the small town, where the whipping post that had been unused for years stood out against the bleak sky. Someone was hitched to the pole and the once sparkling white snow under it was already turning blood red.

Katniss pulled Clove to the pole, the small girls able to push and weave their way threw the quickly forming crowd. When they finally reached the front, it was not what they expected to see.

One of the peacekeepers Katniss was close to, Darius, was laying on the snow, his helmet thrown off to the side and a gash across his face. Gale was tied to a hitching pole, coughing and bleeding onto the once clean snow. An unfamiliar man, cladded in the familiar white peacekeepers' uniform, held a whip over his head.

"This man had left the safety of District Twelve and illegally poached animals. I know the laws haven't been in forced here in District Twleve for years, but they will be now. The this lad as an example," the new head peacekeeper said and whipped Gale once more. That was when Katniss lost it.

In a split second, she had pushed Clove away and dove in front of Gale. "Stop!" She screamed before the whip made contact with her face and sent her falling backwards onto the cold snow. The man was about to strike again before Haymitch stepped in.

"Sir, I don't think you know who you are about to whip," Haymitch said. The man lowered his whip, scowling. Clove was at her side in that moment, helping her up to her feet. "That's Katniss Everdeen, one of District Twelve's newest victors. I am sure of you want to keep your job, you don't want to hit her again and scar her so soon before her sister's wedding."

The man scowled, his blue eyes narrowing. Clove saw something familiar in his expression and the way his blue eyes glinted in the light. She knew those eyes, but she couldn't concentrate in that now. "Just keep your victors out of my way. I'm sure the President will understand my behavior of they are being... disruptive," the man said threw clenched teeth before he turned on his heel and walked away, only leaving a trail of bloody footprints in his wake.

Clove pushed some ice against Katniss's cheek and helped her sister stand. The crowd had thinned since the departure of the head peacekeeper and only a few men remained. Cato, Peeta and a few men were laying Gale on a sign, and piled some clean snow onto his bleeding back. "We have to take him to the Everdeen's," one of the men said, his voice low and raspy from inhaling the air from the mines for years.

Peeta gave Katniss a glance. "Are you ready to face them? You don't have to go, Katniss," Peeta told her. But she did and she couldn't all at the same time.

"I'll go fetch Hazel is someone hasn't already," she said. She took Gale's hand and gave it a squeeze. He had passed out from the pain long ago, but she still whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow."

**A/N: think I got my inspiration back. Anyone else get that Clato had sex in the road on the snow. No? Well, them no implied smut for you. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: OMG GUYS I HAVE A SUPPER FUNNY STORY LIKE YOU DONT EVEN KNOW. So I have like curly hair and when I don't wash it or put curl stuff on it, it totally frizzed up. So I'm a helper at this camp and a little girl walked by me with her helper person (mind you it was really humid and my hair was HUGE) and she was like "wow, dandelion, I didn't know Hagrid was at this camp" and I lost it like it says Hagrid on my name tag now I was dead. **

**You're probably like, "that's not funny" and I'm just here all awka-awkward.**

Chapter 4:

"You know it's me, Dawn. There's no use lying," Romulus Thread said.

Dawn looked at the peacekeeper. "I don't know, actually. I slept with at least twenty men when Cato was conceived. Hell, I slept with about a hundred during the pregnancy."

"And I'm sorry for that, but you know. Have you looked at the boy? When I saw him the other day I thought I was looking at a picture of myself from forty years ago. You know he's my child, Dawn."

Dawn looked down in frustration. "So what? Do you want to meet him or just be able to say Cato Hadley is your son?" Dawn asked rather harshly.

"Yes, I'd like to meet him. I want to get to know my only child," Romulus replied.

The door opened and a voice cut threw the now silent home, "Mom, are you here?"

Before Dawn could stop them, Cato and Clove walked into the sitting room. "What is he doing here?" Cato asked his mother. Dawn saw Clove's face change after looking at Romulus and the realization dawned on her. "He's the guy who whipped Gale, Ma."

"Cato, he's..." Dawn tried, but trailed off not knowing how to form the words. Cato's eyes shifted from his nervously sweating mother to a man who looked to much like him for comfort. His jaw set and he scowled.

"Shit."

Cato stormed out the door, slamming it behind him loudly. A minuet of silence passed before Dawn whispered, "Romulus, maybe you should go." He shook his head and left angrily, like his son.

"You knew who his father is all along?" Clove asked and Dawn shook her head.

"No. He saw Cato at the whipping and thought they looked alike so he came and found me. Turns out, he whored me out about eighteen years ago," Dawn said.

Clove hugged the older woman. "I'm sorry, Dawn," she whispered.

Dawn pulled away and rested her hands on Clove's shoulders. "I'm not. You can never be sorry about having a child, Clove. You'll understand that someday when you and Cato have one of your own. Now you better go comfort my son. Lord knows he's probably destroyed your house by now. Do you want me to tell your mother you stopped by?"

"Yeah. I'll try and get Cato to call you," Clove said before she left the house.

Dawn was right. When Clove walked into the house she shared with her fiancé she was met with a table flipped over and a bunch of stuff scattered across the floor. Cato sat on one of the kitchen stools, squeezing an apple between his hands as if trying to squish it.

Clove stood in the doorway, not sure if she should approach him or not. Depends on how mad he is. She leaned against the doorway and broke the silence with, "how pissed are you?"

"More pissed then when I killed that pervert from three," he answered threw gritted teeth. Yes, she would definitely be staying back for the time being.

"She didn't know, y'know," Clove said. Cato looked at the apple, trying not to listen, or act like he wasn't listening, but she knew he was. "He went over there looking for you and found her. He, um, recognized her from about 18 years ago."

Cato sighed and his tone sounded more upset then angry when he whispered, "just remind me that I'm a fucking mistake."

"You're not a mistake, Cato," Clove said and dared to move towards him. She rested her hand on his shoulder, not wanting to risk it and went on, "sure, you weren't planned or created out of love or whatever, but you weren't a mistake. Nothing that could make me so happy could be a mistake."

Cato looked at her then, his blue eyes starring unblinkingly at her. Then all at once, he grabbed her and pulled her against him, kissing her with enough force to knock her off her feet. The next thing she knew she was pressed against a wall with her lover's lips pressed against hers and the winter chill nipping at her now exposed skin.

She didn't have nightmares that night, neither of them did. They were to lost in each other.

**A/N: I don't know why I made Cato's mom a prostitute, but I have to admit its kinda fun. And Romulus Thread is his dad! Le gasp! Planning that for a while, I love planning plot twists. I love them like I love Luke Benward. Dang, he's pretty. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: School's coming up, yay! Note the sarcasm... and the tears. Anyway, to make updates regular I'm going to update it once a week on Thursdays and probably only on Thursdays. **

Chapter 5:

Clove lay in the large Capitol bed in only her new husband's blue button up shirt he had worn to the wedding. Her dress had been ditched on the ground as soon as the door to their room and shut and dead bolted. Cato was laying next to her, playing with a piece of long, black hair that had freed itself from her bun.

"A baby huh?" Cato said. He hadn't said much since she first told him about twenty minuets before that she might be pregnant. He had really just stared at her and fiddled with her hair. "And you've known for how long?"

"A few hours. I took one of those home Capitol tests right before the ceremony," Clove said and bit her lip.

Cato slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her so she was laying on his bare chest. "So when I was saying my vows and spilling out my guts to you, you were thinking "holy cow I'm pregnant" the whole time?" He asked teasingly.

Clove cracked a smile and said, "well yeah and I was thinking about how cute you are when you cry."

"I did not cry! I had something in my eye," Cato murmured.

"Yeah. Tears," Clove responded.

"You cried too."

"I'm the bride, crying is my job."

Cato grinned at her, his hands sliding under her shirt to rest in the small of her back. "You're my bride," he grinned. "And you're carrying my kid. Could you get any better right now?"

"Don't think so," she smiled and Cato kissed her.

"We're going to have a great family, y'know. I won't be like my dad- or yours. We'll be great parents," Cato said. His father hadn't even been invited, unlike hers. She had tried to talk him into inviting Romulus but Cato was to pissed off at him to even think of inviting him.

"I know," Clove responded and her husband kissed her again and again. "I love you."

"I would think!"

"Just tell me you love me too you big idiot!"

"I love you too, Clove."

XxXxX

"I wouldn't mind being married to you."

"What?" Peeta asked, looking at Katniss with utter shock written on his features. They sat in the sitting room of Cato and Clove's house, Katniss was avoiding her father who had tried to talk to her all night and Peeta was avoiding going home to his big, dark, empty house. They were still in their wedding attire only they ditched their shoes and added a bottle of champagne each.

"You're my friend and you're a good cook and I have fun with you. I mean, I could love you," Katniss tried to explain.

"But not be in love with me?" Peeta asked, half hopefully. The other half disappointed.

Katniss shrugged. "Maybe. Hell, I'd rather marry you then Gale and he's who I thought I'd end up with, if anyone. That's a start right?"

"So I'm your first choice?" He asked. Katniss thought for a moment, then nodded. "I can live with that," he stated before taking a swig of champagne.

"Cato and Clove are probably doing it right now," Katniss stated after a brief moment of silence. "I think I'm drunk."

"You're definitely drunk and they probably are. Y'know Clove's knocked up?" Peeta asked with a small hiccup.

Katniss nearly spit out her champagne. "How the hell do you know?"

"Cato told me a few weeks ago. Said she wasn't using any tampons- which I said was gross and I didn't need to know- and she was getting sick and knowing Clove she's probably just in denial and she'll tell him eventually. He told me 'cause I'm his best friend and swore me to secrecy-" Peeta rambled, stopping suddenly and throwing his head back. "Shit!"

"Remind me to never trust you with a secret," Katniss said and took a swig.

Peeta sighed. "I'm a terrible drunk."

"Yes you are" Katniss stated before letting out a high pitched giggle. "I'm a better drunk then you," she sang.

"I don't think that's a thing to brag about."

"You're just jealous." Peeta opened his mouth to reply when they heard a loud bang come from upstairs. "Oh my God, someone's here!" Katniss exclaimed in a whisper.

Peeta put his almost empty bottle on the table and laid down on the floor, cautiously grabbing the knife Clove has tapped to the bottom of the couch. "Stay behind me and catch me if I fall down the stairs," Peeta told her as they both staggered up the stairs. Another sound came from behind the doors of one of the guest bedrooms and Peeta slowly pushed it open.

Peeta and Katniss's jaws both dropped to the floors when they saw who was in bed. "Primrose Everdeen, what are you doing?" Katniss yelled loud enough to break glass.

The youngest Everdeen girl covered herself with the sheet quickly as did none other then Rory Hawthorn. "Katniss, what are you doing here?" Prim asked, clearly horrified.

"Better question, what are you doing here? And with him? What the hell, Prim?" Katniss basically screamed before her face fell. "Oh my... You're having slutty wedding sex. My fourteen year old sister is having slutty wedding sex."

"You get out!" Peeta said and Rory quickly pulled on his pants and ran past them and Peeta followed.

"What are you doing Prim? Loosing your virginity at fourteen?" Katniss asked.

"Clove lost her virginity at fourteen," Prim said back.

"And how do you know this? Did you talk to Clove about sex!"

Prim shrugged. "We were bonding."

Katniss ran her hand over her face. "I can't believe my little sister lost her virginity before I did. Both my little sisters." Katniss turned to Prim again. "Please tell me you used protection."

"Of coarse. Cato said they wouldn't be needing it and gave me a whole box of condoms when he overheard us talking."

For a whole minuet, Katniss just sat there dumb struck. "Get dressed, I'm taking you home and locking you in there for the next three months," she said when she found her footing. She spun on her heel and stocked out of the room.

Her little sister was having sex, her twin had just gotten married and was expecting a baby and here she was with barely a love interest. Boy, is she behind.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

It had been two months since Cato and Clove's wedding and it was the evening of the Quarter Quell announcement.

That's why Katniss mans Haymitch were at Haymitch's dump of a house getting beyond drunk and trying to forget what they just heard. Peeta was at his house, baking because that's all he knows what to soto calm him down. And Cato and Clove were at home, making love and talking about the future that probably won't happen. It was all because of the damn Quarter Quell announcement.

They had all met at Katniss's house to watch it. Haymitch was wondering around, complaining about the lack of and searching for alcohol. Given he had been sober for almost six months (with the exception of Cato and Clove's wedding, but no one counts that since almost everyone in attendance got wasted beyond belief) but he claims he just likes to hold it.

Cato and Clove were making out on the couch. If you ask Cato, marriage and a baby bump are a turn on. Clove was about five months along and had just started showing and Cato was enjoying every second of it.

Peeta was in the kitchen cooking because Katniss and Prim basically live off his and the newlywed's food. Neither can cook for shit. Prim was off with Rory and Katniss was hiding the liquor from Haymitch.

All of a sudden the TV lit up with the Capitol emblem and the anthem filled the room. Cato and Clove separated and Cato yelled out, "it's on!" The rest of the people in the house made their way to the living room where the TV was mounted on the wall.

The President's mansion was shown on the TV and then zoomed into the balcony where President Snow stood with a young boy holding a simple wooden box holding the theme for this year's games. The camera cut to the President and his voice seemed to vibrate around the crowded plaza full of Capitol people as he spoke.

He begins talking about the Dark Days from which the Hunger Games were born and how, when the laws for the games were laid out, they dictated every twenty-five years the anniversary would be marked with a Quarter Quell. It would be a glorified version of the Games to remember those killed by the rebellion.

_Ironic_, Katniss thought bitterly, _since so many districts are rebelling. _

When she had gone to the mayor's house to visit with Madge one day, she had seen on her father's TV that District Eight was rebelling. Her prep team had told her that the weather was so bad at District Four that they couldn't get much fish, but the angry faces she saw during the victory tour told her differently.

She was brought back to the real world when by grandfather's speech. "On the twenty-fith anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was voted not he tributes who would represent it," Snow went on. "On the fiftieth anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for every Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes into the arena."

At that, Haymitch stood up. "God dammit, Sweetheart, where's the fucking liquor?"

"There's a bottle of wine under the couch," she replied and Haymitch retrieved it and straight away began to pry the bottle open.

"And now we honor the third Quarter Quell," Snow announced. The boy stepped forward and the president opened the box and returned the yellow envelope. He pulled a small white card from the envelope and began to read from it, "on the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them can not overcome the power of the Capitol, the make and female tributes will be reaped from the existing pool of victors."

**A/N: i forgot some stuff in earlier chapters so there it is. Next chapter's the reaping and maybe the tribute parade. I don't know yet. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

It was strange how much District Two looked like District Twelve. The sky was grey from the quarry air and all the houses were poorly constructed of stone, besides the tall mansions perched on the side of a mountain and looming over the district. Clove could make out the old factory building where the training facility is hidden and Clove learned how to throw a knife.

She could feel Cato's arm pull her against him as they stepped off the train and maneuvered threw the Capitol paparazzi. Clove had heard that a picture of the two of them was worth a lot in the Capitol. A picture of her six month baby bump was worth even more.

"Cato, how's married life treating you?" "Cato, Clove, have you decided on names for your baby?" "Clove, do you think your pregnancy will change your chances of getting reaped?"

The reporters yelled questions at them, but Cato and Clove avoided them and were ushered into the square where the Reaping would be held. They got their blood drawn and, with a kiss, parted into their section. The cheerful attitude they had before the last Reaping was long forgotten.

Cato stood at the back, where he towered over the older male victors and Clove stood between Enobria and Lyme. A few more people arrived before Hovel took the stage.

The escort introduced himself before the yearly video was shown, along with the President's announcement from a few months prior. The Treaty of Penance was read and now it was time to decide the tributes. "Ladies first," Hovel said and approached the large glass bowel. There was about ten names in the District Two bowel. There would be only one in District Twelve's. Hovel's face fell noticeably when he read the name. "Clove Snow Hadley."

Clove sighed, she was expecting this. These games were a punishment meant for her and her family, they would all probably be Reaped. Her eyes searched the faces of the other female victors as she walked the familiar path up to the stage. They wouldn't volunteer and hopefully Cato wouldn't either.

Hovel placed a hand on her shoulder before crossing the stage to the men's bowel. Her eyes met Cato's and she could only hope he wouldn't volunteer. He did last year and this year he had more to loose. "Cato Hadley," Hovel said, reading the name off the slip of paper.

They shook hands and were ushered onto the train along with Lyme and Brutus, their mentors this year.

**A/N: I'm sorry that took so long (and it's short) but my grandma died recently and it's hit me and my family pretty hard. I haven't been able to really concentrate on anything recently except for really, really depressing one-shots (to be realized on a later date) and this. So yeah. **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Lately, Peeta had been acting (in all seriousness) like an ass. He wore a mask of indifference, and it was pissing Katniss off.

Still, she had this strange tightness in her chest when she thought about him going back into the games. The Capital wanted her. They would get her, in a casket, and they will probably get him too. Luckily, Haymitch agreed to take his place.

Effie's hand swooped down into the bowl, digging through air, even though there was only one slip.

Katniss' mind flashed back to last year's reaping.

_"Your name is only in there once; they're not going to pick you." _

Oh, the irony. Katniss knew her name was written carefully on only one slip, and she knew she would be picked. Katniss could almost laugh.

Effie cleared her throat and said in almost a whisper, "Katniss Everdeen."

Katniss walked onto the stage, catching Peeta's eyes. She tried to send a message to him telling him she'd be okay, but he looked down.

Effie gave Katniss a little pat on shoulder before reaching into the other reaping bowl, clawing one of the two slips. She walked slowly to the microphone, glancing at the two male victors.

"The male tribute for the 75th annual Hunger Games will be..." She squeezes her eyelids shut for a second, and opens them again, a pained look painted on her features.

"Haymitch Abernathy."

Before Katniss' could even shut her eyes, a loud voice has already boomed the dreaded words. "I volunteer!"

Peeta marches up the stairs. When he reaches the stage, Peeta takes her into his arms, anchoring her against him with muscular arms. She can hear his heart beating, and wonders if Clove felt the same way at her last reaping, when she was held tightly against Cato.

Effie clears her throat. "These are our brave victors, tributes once more. Happy hunger games," she says, hurrying off stage after the crack in her voice.

The peacekeepers push Katniss and Peeta towards the train station. Katniss eyes go wide. "No! I get to say goodbye!" She tries desperately to push through them, but they restrain her. "Prim!" She screams, venom and longing laced between her words. "I get to say goodbye!"

Katniss hears her sister scream back. "Katniss! Katniss! Let me see my sister!"

But neither girl could get to the other, and a minute later Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch were on the way to hell.

XxXxX

Katniss sat alone in the dinning car, late at night. She was ck pletly alone and startled by the knock on the side of the doorframe. "Peeta." That was all she said. That was all she could say. Peeta entered the room slowly, taking a seat next to her on the couch. "You're done avoiding me then, I presume?" She asked, picking at her nails.

"I think we have bigger problems," He answered, pain sparkling in his eyes.

Katniss' mind shot back to the image of Rue, a spear embedded in her, blood pouring out, her big, kind eyes overtaken with fear. Her mind shot back to all the people that lay lifeless in heaps on the ground. They all died in vain. And so would they.

Katniss didn't notice that a tear had escaped until Peeta reached up to brush it away.

"We're going to die," Peeta said. It was the first time he actually said it out loud. It was the first time Katniss heard it.

"You don't have-" Katniss tried to say. She couldn't ask him to throw away his life for her sister's. Just because she and Cato were doesn't mean he has to.

Peeta shook his head. "I can't let her and her baby die. Cato' sky best friend and... she has more to live for then I do."

"Thank you," Katniss said, taking his hand in her own.

He gave her a smile and pulled out a bottle of liquor from the ice bucket. "How 'bout, tonight, we forget. If you wanna," He says.

"Is it a good idea to show up in front of the cameras hung-over?" She asks. She's itching to drink the dark liquid, but her sanity is keeping her in line.

"It's Capitol stuff. It wears off after a few hours," he responds and pulls of the top with a small 'pop.'

Without another thought, Katniss grabs the bottle from his hands. "I've never had any this strong before."

Peeta grins, "Me neither. There is a first time for everything. Drink." And she does. She takes a swallow and grimaces. It was the foulest thing she had ever tasted and it burned her throat when she swallowed it, but it made her feel warm inside. And she was just so damn tired of feeling empty, that she tipped back the bottle for more.

Perhaps Peeta felt the same way, because even though he gaged at the first couple sips, he didn't stop. Neither of them did. They kept passing the bottle back and forth, and forcing more of the liquid down. Peeta twirled a strand of Katniss' hair as she drained the bottle for the last bits of alcohol.

Katniss tossed the bottle to the floor. Peeta stared at her with this wild look in his eyes. He surveyed her, almost lustfully.

It was the alcohol's fault, she would later reason, but she found herself pressing her lips forcefully against his. The warmth from the liquor couldn't compare to the fire inside her as she began to unbutton his shirt, running her thin fingers across his ribs and abdomen. Something in her melted as he began to suck on the skin below her jawline, reaching for the zipper of her dress. Damn it, it was the way Peeta's hands traveled her body, touching and caressing her in all the right ways and all the right places. And the way his tongue explored her mouth. And the way his lips trailed across her collarbone.

_Damn it, was just him?_

XxXxX

Katniss woke up the next morning very early, without an article of clothing on, pressed against Peeta. Her eyes widened in realization of what happened. She buried her head in her hands. She didn't know how the hell she had let this happen, but it didn't matter.

She slid out of bed and hurriedly put on a robe before leaving Peeta's room. She only hopes Peeta will forget.

**A/N: shout out to Cloverrrrrrrr. She knows why ;) **


End file.
